Esther Rockett has been a vocal, legitimate critic of the cult, Universal Medicine, for a few years. Esther’s concerns about the conduct of the cult are based on her personal experience whilst undergoing what she describes as a disturbing treatment session from Serge Benhayon, the leader of Universal Medicine. The more Esther investigated, the worse it got.

The cult has done its best to destroy Esther’s life – and the lives of others who have spoken out against the cult – attempting to have her de-registered as a health care practitioner; attempting to have her arrested for online bullying; mercilessly pursuing her and defaming her across a wide range of internet fora; and now the latest tactic, the SLAPP action (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). From Wikipedia:

A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.

Universal Medicine…closely guards its reputation, employing an internet reputation manager to have some critical blogs and media stories wiped from the internet and mount personal attacks on others who report on or complain about the group.

In the beginning, Serge Benhayon was a tennis coach, and a bankrupt, when he had what he calls ‘an energetic impress’ while sitting on the toilet in 1999.

Universal Medicine was born: its creator made up treatments like esoteric breast massage, ovarian massage and chakra puncture.

Mr Benhayon has no medical qualifications.

Lacking certification, Mr Benhayon set up the Esoteric Practitioners Association so his own students, who pay to learn the techniques from the College of Universal Medicine, can graduate with certification from his EPA.

Mr Benhayon said in a television interview that he made about $2 million a year from his courses and retreats.

In the same interview, he claimed to be the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci…

In another book, Mr Benhayon claims that autism and Down syndrome are karma for past life sins…

When Ms Rockett — an acupuncturist — moved to Byron Bay late last year, an unnamed registrant bought the domain name acupuncturebyronbay.com.

When you Google for an acupuncturist in Byron, up comes the site, which warns people to avoid Esther Rockett.

“Byron Bay Locals Be Warned” the site says above a big picture of Rockett, whom it describes as ‘a cyber-bully’.

The signed names at the bottom of the site include several Universal Medicine members, but this is not disclosed.

“It’s an attack on my livelihood, I’m an individual with legitimate complaints and they are (part of) a multi-million dollar corporation,” Ms Rockett said, adding she could not afford to take defamation action.

The group has managed to have her Facebook shut down and Ms Rockett believes they may also have been responsible for her Twitter account being suspended.

She has received 150 notifications from Twitter that her account “may be suspended” for “abusive behaviour”…

A total of 36 blogs have been removed. It also managed to have links to television stories, ABC radio reports and newspaper articles critical of UM, including stories by this journalist, removed from the internet.

“I have hired an Internet Reputation Group to assist in the removal of the lies and the offending material on the Internet,” Mr Benhayon said in response to our questions…

Lance Martin, a Bangalow-based businessman, has also been labelled a cyber-bully for airing his story where he alleged his marriage failed as a result of the group’s interference.

He has since been accused of being an abusive partner, which he vehemently denies, and his former business, an online hotel booking site, suffered after online publications repeating the allegation became associated with the name of the business.

“By keyword loading on the business name they attached these blogs about me and they do a lot of link sharing on Twitter and Facebook, whoever they are attacking and then Google starts ranking them higher and higher until it’s the first thing that came up when you googled my business.

“The blogs intimated I was an abusive husband, which is contrary to the facts.”

He had to close down the business.

And Jane Hansen writes of her own distasteful, ugly vilification by the cult, Universal Medicine:

Last June, I wrote a piece about Universal Medicine in The Sunday Telegraph.

The Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing had received an official complaint regarding $500,000 Universal Medicine had raised using a charity licence to build the College of Universal Medicine on Serge Benhayon’s land.

LGA found it wasn’t their area of responsibility and dismissed the complaint.

Mr Benhayon was offered an interview but chose to not answer the questions in favour of berating me for posing them.

“If you are going to pillory me, as have the other scurrilous journalists before you, lies they chose to tell the public, why do you need me to comment?” he wrote.

After the article went to print, “The Facts” team turned their attention to me.

Google “Jane Hansen journalist” now and the first thing that comes up is a hate blog from UM berating my ability as a journalist, lack of integrity complete with claims I have a “murky past”.

They even used the death of my eight-month-old son in 2004 as ammunition against me.

“But would this life-changing moment signify fundamental change in how she works? Would it mean that she would take action to arrest harm if it would get in the way of a good story?”

Serge Benhayon tweeted this particular blog on the morning of the 10th anniversary of my son’s death – an incredibly painful day despite the years…

Jane Hansen continues:

They accuse everyone one else of cyber bullying while embarking on a systematic, online pack hunt says Ira McClure who went public last year with her dealing with UM.

She has been vilified since with numerous comments from members.

“Ira McClure, absolute shame and disgust on you too to have enjoined this hunt of evil and wickedness against Truth and Love,” one member writes.

Ms McClure has seen her medical conditions discussed openly in the blogs by members she has never met.

“These vicious comments sicken and disgust me as they are from people who are ignorant of the facts. This journey has been riddled with many distressing events and these people with their twisted and bullying comments are just the icing on the cake,” she said.

Mr Benhayon said to his knowledge Ira McClure had never received any Universal Medicine treatments, yet The Sunday Telegraph has viewed her receipts from the practitioner she saw. She has taken her complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission.

Mr Benhayon also denied any involvement in the blogs written by The Facts team saying “they are not ‘written on direction’ by me” he said, before defending the group’s right to do so…

Although Serge Benhayon denies he directs his ‘Facts Team’ on what to write, the Sunday Telegraph’s email sent directly to his address on Thursday March 5 was posted on “The Facts” site shortly after with six more blogs including “Jane Hansen Revenge Trail” and “Jane Hansen and Junk Food Journalism” complete with over 600 comments on my lack of integrity and professionalism.

The editor of this paper also received dozens of emails accusing us of being liars.

Please help, if you can. We cannot allow legitimate public criticism to be censored by cashed-up thugs wielding expensive defamation cases. We must help Esther fight this action.

No worries. The moral support is equally valuable to me and the people I represent. Truly. With so many afraid and ashamed to speak up it’s so encouraging to have people outside the situation express their care and concern.

Esther, I wish I could help. I’ve won a couple of defamation actions without spending any legal fees, but they were undefended. The best advice I can give at present is retain offline everything that they have said about you and retain witnesses who saw it. Under Australian defamation law it’s up to you to prove that what you have said about them is true or at least valid opinion, and your statements are in the public interest (thereby proving it’s a SLAPP suit which would never be upheld). If you can retain a lawyer it would also be worth counter suing for defamation making them have to present the “truth” of what they have said about you. I’m sure you could also find witnesses to prove at the very least the untruths pointed out by them about you. Also make sure that the media are aware of this action – if you aren’t doing that already. That may spread the word and you may well get some sponsors that way. UM can’t stop coverage of the court case unless they apply for a closed court.